Cerberus Daily News - March 2016
For canon information, see the Mass Effect Wiki page for Cerberus Daily News. This page is for CDN members' non-canon additions. The following stories contributed by Cerberus Daily News forum members were published on the CDN newsfeed during May 2013. See the main Cerberus Daily News page for current updates. March 2016 - Week One 03/05/16 - Mercenary Organization Strikes Down Suspected Insurgency on Paerth via Olivia Daniels, Citadel News Network In a sudden move, the Akhmokan Batallion, a centuries-old mercenary organization, has overtaken a local insurgency group on Paerth, a Terminus colonial world that allegedly has ties with Nemean drug cartel Rising Hymn. While the disposal of the colony’s insurgents was largely considered an inevitability, the sudden takeover has sent shockwaves throughout surrounding Terminus clusters and, presumably, the Abyss itself. Families of the colonists involved are working with investigators throughout the system in an attempt to garner more information on their missing relatives, but at the time of this publication, little is known about potential survivors. In an exclusive interview, CNN reached out to one of the colonists for comments on the affair. The individual in question requested to remain anonymous at this time. “You really can’t explain just how fast something like this happens,” said our Paerth contact. “One moment, I was filing a report on a new mineral discovery in the deep mines, and the next, everyone’s screaming. I mean everyone. Men I thought were made of iron were sobbing and... I was sobbing. I haven’t been so scared since the… the Reaper War. The Akhmokan came in and swept through the entire colony within, I don’t know… maybe it took them an hour. It looked like they had specific targets. Not just people, buildings.” When asked about the colony’s supposed connections to Rising Hymn, the contact replied, “Not me. But I know what you’re talking about. Most outsiders don't know Rising Hymn, but their practices within the Abyss are nothing short of… well, awful. They supply sentient trafficking rings with narcotics, and experimental drugs that have… we hear about people dying a lot. Overdosing. But not everyone in the colony was involved, I swear. There’s good people here. I hope they’re still alive.” Whether or not the affiliation between the suspected insurgents and Rising Hymn is legitimate remains unproven by official sources. Updates on survivors and contact numbers for emergency outreach groups can be found at the bottom of this article. CNN encourages all persons with information related to the destruction on Paerth to contact local authorities as soon as possible. Terminus Missing and Unidentified Sapients Database CitReach Survivors Group OUTPOST Intergalactic Support March 2016 - Week Three 03/14/16 - Akhmokan Seizure of Paerth Linked to Illium Info Broker Agency via Olivia Daniels, Citadel News Network In a startling development, the recent mercenary sweep of Paerth has been linked to a mid-sized information brokering agency located on Illium. The agency in question, Erudition, was shut down by the NAPD at approximately 09:02 local time yesterday. While NAPD could not provide extensive details on the arrests, a local officer informed us that due to extradition concerns, not all parties involved have been detained. We were informed that “most” of the targets have, in fact, been incarcerated and are presently awaiting charges. The evidence linking them to the Akhmokan attack on Paerth is “undeniable”. Remaining employees at Erudition are presently in a scramble to recover from the recent losses, which includes their CEO and several members of the board. No employees were willing to speak to the press at this time. The NAPD has stated that it will continue to seek out the remaining suspects in conjuncture with C-Sec over the next few weeks, and that it is “very confident” it will be able to provide some resolution to the families of the hundreds of colonists involved. The Akhmokan and - if proven guilty - affiliated members of Erudition are suspected to be responsible for at least 56 deaths, all of which are believed to be linked to the Rising Hymn cartel. March 2016 - Week Four 03/26/16 - Lead Info Broker Arrested in Paerth Cartel Case via Olivia Daniels, Citadel News Network Citadel Security officers received praise from the Council itself this week after their speedy wrap-up of the Paerth case. With Erudition members behind bars and awaiting trial back on Illium, C-Sec Officer Aphin Ambarto was assigned to the followup for the case. He, and a team of five other investigators headed by Sergeant Kurius, worked diligently to track down the information broker suspected of leading the Akhmokan-associated division of Erudition. After several days of questioning, an arrested Erudition employee reportedly tipped the NAPD off to where the broker in question could be found - right on the Citadel station itself. Several days later, Terran-born Chhaya Kaan was within police custody, although not without a very public struggle on the Presidium. Eyewitnesses of the arrest reported that Kaan screamed numerous oddities throughout his arrest, including several phrases regarding a “white devil”, whom most have concluded to be the employee who tipped off the NAPD, due to her Caucasian descent (Humans have a long history of racism based upon pigmentation). With all parties involved detained, C-Sec has begun working with the NAPD to extradite Kaan back to Illium. When reached for comment, a NAPD spokespersons expressed, “We are incredibly grateful for the hard work of C-Sec in this trying time. Our hearts and minds go out to the families of the colonists. We assure you, all involved parties will be brought to justice as swiftly as possible.” Sources from the Terminus report that both arrests have had a massive effect on the local drug trade. After the Alliance captured the insurgents, Rising Hymn suffered a significant blow to their numbers - enough that a neighboring cartel, the Caesal, declared war upon them and wiped them out entirely. The NAPD and C-Sec will continue to work to detain as many associated persons to the attack as possible over the coming months, though both agencies have admitted seizing the Akhmokan and Caesal will be “next to impossible”. If you or anyone you know has been affected by the violence on Paerth, CNN encourages you to reach out to law enforcement agencies and outreach groups (listed below) as soon as possible. Citadel Security Nos Astra Police Department Terminus Missing and Unidentified Sapients Database CitReach Survivors Group OUTPOST Intergalactic Support Category:Cerberus Daily News Articles